Hinsdale Schools Send Weather Warning to Parents Ahead of Snowy Weekend

With around a foot of snow expected to fall this weekend, several suburban schools are reestablishing their closure policies in the event of a cancelation next Monday.

Bruce Law, the superintendent of Hinsdale Township High School District 86, sent out a letter to families Friday detailing the district's procedures when it comes to winter weather. The letter is copied below.

"With a winter storm headed our way and some forecasts calling for snow on Sunday, it seems like a good time to go over the procedures we use when concerns for student and staff safety raise the question of whether it is safe to hold school.

My bias is to keep school open and students learning unless weather or road conditions convince me to close school because of the risk to student and staff safety. In the event that protecting student and staff safety outweighs the negative impact of disrupting classes, school will be delayed in opening or be closed.

Because of the complexity in precisely predicting weather, I make any decision about closing school with the most up-to-date information using the weather and road conditions that most directly affect student and staff safety. This decision is often impossible to do until the morning of a possible school closure because that is when actual conditions are known. I realize that waiting for a decision is frustrating, particularly when other districts have already announced closures.

At the latest, announcements will be made by 5:30 a.m. explaining the details of any delayed start or closing in the following ways:

• District website, d86.hinsdale86.org
• Twitter, follow the District @HinsdaleD86
• Push notification through the ParentLink app (you must have the app downloaded and push notifications enabled to receive)
• Text notification to parent/guardian cell phone numbers listed in your student’s account
• Email notification to parent/guardian email addresses listed in your student’s account
• Automated phone call notification to parent/guardian telephone numbers (all mobile and landline) listed in your student’s account
• Emergency Closing Center website, http://www.emergencyclosingcenter.com

As you may remember, the school calendar adopted by the Board of Education allows us to use scheduled holidays and other non-attendance days as make-up days to recover instructional time during the school year rather than tacking it onto the end of the year. If schools close due to severe weather, the plan for converting non-instructional days to school days will be announced as quickly as possible.

I understand that any changes or closures disrupt our families’ schedules, and I appreciate your understanding and support in keeping student and staff safety our top priority."

Sincerely,

Dr. Bruce Law

Superintendent of Schools

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